Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 108

Weaning Questions for Kind Mamas

A while back I asked you all about your experience with raising kind kids for the book I’m working on, The Kind Mama. I have another kind mama Q&A for you! I’d like to know more about your experience with breastfeeding and weaning. Feel free to answer some or all of the questions below. I may select some of your answers to appear in my book, The Kind Mama!

1. How did you and your child decide together that it was time to stop breastfeeding?
2. How did you know that he or she was ready to move on? Have any sweet stories about it?
3. How did you feel when that time came?
4. Do you miss that special time together?

You can answer in the comments below, by contacting me directly (by sending a private message to my profile), or you can post your answers in this forum thread.

Thank you, kind lifers!!!



Love,

Alicia

Photo source: Pusteblumenland, honey-bee

How to Transition from Vegetarianism to Veganism

Ali made the transition from vegetarianism to veganism gradually. If you’re flirting and want to go completely veg, check out her advice, as told to Ecorazzi contributor Allyson Koerner:

How Ali became vegetarian:

When I went vegetarian at age eleven, it was a remarkably easy transition. A boy at my school was attempting to kill creatures in the pond. When I tried to stop him, he said, "You eat animals," like that meant I had no right to try and save something that could end up on my plate later. The hypocrisy of my actions became crystal clear in that moment. I decided, no more meat.

Ali’s Inspiration to go Vegan:

When I first started working for two organizations supporting anti-factory farming, vegan outreach and humane education, my choice to go vegan became that much clearer. I realized veganism is the only diet that can change the world.

What to expect:

You can expect a healthier body, and the feeling of pride that goes hand-in-hand with living according to your values. That's something that many people aspire to, but few people achieve.

A gradual transition:

I attempted veganism at 16, but I had no idea what I was doing, and a very limited palate.

In my twenties, I tried again. I started experimenting with different foods by eating at a variety of vegan restaurants, buying vegan cookbooks and making home cooked meals made with whole foods the basis of my diet.

Here are my tips for flirts:

• Start simple with “tried and true recipes” and turn your favorite dish into a vegan one.
• Learn to cook by investing in great vegan cookbooks. Fancy cookware isn’t necessary!
• Try mock meats like Field Roast or Beyond Meat.
• Be patient and open minded about trying new foods.
• If “omni friends” don’t understand your new diet, then share vegan food with them.

Most of all, be kind to yourself and know that a slip up doesn't mean you can't do it. It just means you're still on your food journey.

***

Thank you Ali & Allyson!

Do you kind lifers have a transition story to share, or advice for flirts who are thinking of going veg?

Post your stories and advice in the comments below.

9 Ways to Help your Companion Animals Go Green

You may not realize how much waste pet products can create, but with a few simple tricks and tips, you can help your pet go green.

[Side Note: This photo is of the great, legendary (to me) Sampson. He was my best friend and boyfriend for years. We met when I was 17 and he passed away about 4 years ago. Look at that face! He was amazing. This was towards the end of his life… I’ll talk more about him one day. One special man, I tell you!!]

1.    Feed your dog veggie food! I like Dr. Harvey's or v-dog food for dry food. (check out my blog about feeding my dogs).

2.    Use all natural and ECO friendly shampoos and grooming products.

3.    Use all natural kitty litters like wheat litter products.

4.    Recycle your pets’ products… old beds, crates, brushes, bowls and toys make great donations to animal shelters.

5.    Grow your own veggies and fruits. A lot of our furry friends eat fruits and veggies…why not grow your own? Then you’ll be sure there are no pesticides or dangerous chemicals in their food or yours.

6.    Adopt, don’t shop for animals. Shelters and rescues have just about any pet you can think of available for adoption.

7.   Be sure to spay or neuter all of your companion animals. 

8.    Buy environmentally friendly pet toys and products.

9.    Pick up after your dog! Use an old newspaper or a leaf if you can. Or if neither of those are available, a second choice would be a compostable poop bag. It is so important that you don’t use extra plastic bags for this! You might think it’s a good thing, because you’re reusing (which is important to do, but it’s better if you just use reusable bags in the first place), but when you put the poop inside the plastic bag, you are preventing it from breaking down in the landfill (just like the bag). It’ll just sit inside the bag in the landfill forever… no bueno!

What are some other ways to help your pet go green? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below.

P.S. Here is why adoption is soooo important.

Vaute Couture at Fashion Week

Vaute Couture at Fashion Week
By: Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart

 

You guys! It’s been the craziest couple of months. This year I worked my toosh off to put together our first solo debut show for New York Fashion Week and produced the show and collection in less than a month. Let’s just say, I spent a lot of time on the couch the following couple of weeks recuperating with NetFlix and kale shakes. But, as Russell Simmons recently tweeted, “It’s very simple: When you’re working your hardest, the world opens up to you.” I couldn’t agree more, and this is especially true when your mission is bigger than you. The more I give my all for the animals, the more amazing wonderful little things happen and come into my life (I just need to catch up on sleep first to enjoy them a little more. Ha!)

About a month ago we gave away tickets to some Kind Life readers!! I was so happy some of you could come share in this special day with me of fashion and love for animals.

If you weren’t able to attend, here’s the 4 min video ROCK *iT FiLMS made for me of my show, including an interview:

I wanted to show the world that the future of fashion is to care... with our cutting edge fabrics that are made of organic and recycled fibers, all vegan, and apparel made by workers paid fairly (and all locally in NYC’s garment district). The show made us the first all vegan fashion label to show at New York Fashion Week solo, and Teen Vogue, WWD, Elle, In Style, and CNN all attended, which made me so so happy. We had a packed house, shooting star pinafours made just for our show by Vegan Treats, adoptable dogs on the runway from the Humane Society of New York and Badass Brooklyn Rescue, and our first full Ready to Wear Collection, including dresses made of 100% closed loop recycled satin, turtlenecks from Organic Cotton Sherpa, pants from waxed canvas, and our new dress coat collection made from organic velvet, with a quilted recycled satin liner insulated with recycled fiber Thinsulate. A year’s worth of fabric research and development went into the making this collection. The show was sponsored partly by the Humane Society of the United States, who does amazing work speaking up for the animals, and also we had vegan makeup by DeVita and vegan hair designs by Salon Champu, an all vegan salon in NYC. Everyone was amazing.

Photo by Joshua Katcher

Photo by Gregory Vaughan

Photo collage by Andy Lin for the Self Portrait Project

The collection was inspired, as I mentioned, by Sailor Moon! So if you can see, there are lots of hearts, oversized bows, and fit and flare (my favorite shape!). I was so inspired by the Sailor Moon quotes I found that we put them in the photo booth as captions for my amazing friends and guests. What’s amazing is that I started out inspired by Sailor Moon because of the design elements, but then I realized that it’s a story that means so much to my heart: essentially it starts out with a “normal earth girl” who saves a cat from being abused, and the cat turns her into her super version of herself, Sailor Moon, who then works to save the universe with her friends. It’s a story about finding the super powers in all of us, through helping others. It sounds so cheesy- I know- but I really believe it’s true. Helping others does bring out the best in us and give us so much strength to do more.

If helping others or working for a cause has given you extra strength, please share your story in the comments below! I’d LOVE to hear your story!!

Photos by Gregory Vaughan

So, the show! I really panicked a lot the week before, and didn’t think anyone was going to show up. But then, they did. And it made me so happy! CNN did an article that made the homepage of CNN, as well as a piece on the News that said “ANIMAL FREE CLOTHES MAKE RUNWAY HISTORY” and said I was the “Rebel of Fashion Week” (which unfortunately meant there was a ton of fur and leather at other designers’ shows). Jane Velez Mitchell interviewed me on her TV show about Compassion in fashion and shows us what’s wrong with fur here (PLEASE NOTE: the first two minutes contain some graphic footage). It made me so thrilled to share that we can be kind in how we dress, that it matters what we wear and we don’t need to wear animals. When I started the label, I knew that the only way to do this right was to make sure that I re-thought how clothes is made to make them better, so that vegan fashion could be the next step in fabrics and apparel, not just an alternative lifestyle.

Photo by Gregory Vaughan

Anyway, it was a magical day, and I was so honored to spend it with so many people that I love. I hope to create many more shows so that one day you can come to one too!

How has working for a cause you’re passionate about given you extra strength?

Chef Chloe’s Tiramisu Pancakes & a Giveaway

 

 

 

Wow, these pancakes look insane! This is definitely more of a dessert than breakfast… these pancakes have rum, chocolate, and espresso! This is definitely not superhero, but a yummy treat for flirts!

This recipes is from Chef Chloe’s new book Chloe’s Vegan Desserts… if you remember, Chloe’s recipe for Cookie Dough Truffles was The Kind Life’s favorite recipe of 2012! In addition to this recipe, Chloe has also offered us three copies of her brand new book to give away to some lucky Kind Lifers so check below for the entry details…

And to be the first to know about new recipes and giveaways, make sure to register for the Kind Life newsletter.

 

Tiramisu Pancakes

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (I recommend using decaf!)
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup water
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum
⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)
Canola oil, for greasing
Powdered sugar, for serving
Coconut Whipped Cream

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together water, maple syrup, and dark rum. Add the liquid to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix; the batter should have some lumps. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or griddle and heat over medium-high heat. Pour ¼ cup batter onto the skillet. When bubbles appear in the center of the pancake, it is time to flip it. Let it cook on the other side until lightly browned and cooked through, about 1 more minute. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. If the batter becomes too thick, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. To serve, dust pancakes with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.

 

Coconut Whipped Cream

Makes about 1½ cups

Vegan whipped cream is possible! Coconut milk is a fabulous, natural substitute for heavy cream.

Note: For best results, Coconut Whipped Cream should chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Ingredients:
1 (13.5-ounce) can of coconut milk (not lite), preferably Thai Kitchen brand or Whole Foods 365 brand, chilled, not stirred
⅔ cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Chill the bowl and whisk of a stand mixer in the freezer for about 10 minutes. If they are not very cold, the cream will not whip properly. Skim the solidified coconut cream from the chilled can of coconut milk and transfer the solids to the bowl of the stand mixer. Do not include any of the coconut water, even if you have to leave behind a little margin of coconut cream (even a little bit of coconut water can harm your results).

Add the powdered sugar and whip for a few minutes until the mixture begins to stiffen and turn into whipped cream. Chill the whipped cream in a covered container in the refrigerator.

It should firm up even more as it sits in the refrigerator for the next few hours or overnight.

 

The Giveaway! 

To win a copy of Chloe’s new book Chloe’s Vegan Desserts, leave a comment below with your favorite vegan dessert from the Kind Life recipe gallery.

 

• You must be a registered TheKindLife.com member to enter. Learn how to sign up by clicking here.

• This contest is open to residents of the USA only.
• Winners will ONLY be contacted via private message to their TheKindLife.com inbox and by the email they used to register for the site. If our team does not hear back within 24 hours, a new winner will be selected in your place.
• Limit one comment per entry. Multiple comment entries will not be considered.
• This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on April 9, 2013.

Rose McCoy, 12-Year-Old Kind Crusader!

At a PETA event in NYC with Dan Mathew - PETA's senior VP of Campaigns - and actor Alec Baldwin

 

Rose McCoy is a lifelong animal activist at her ripe old age of…12! I met her when I shot a video about the cruelty of down for PETA. She is a wonderful young girl and here’s why:

• She rescued chicks from a school egg/chick "study" and brought them to a sanctuary. She then wrote letters (and had fellow students sign on) to the teacher and principal to discourage future egg/chick studies at school.

• She started an animal rights club in grade school to talk with fellow students about various animal issues during lunch and recess.

• She encouraged her teacher to go vegan (she's still vegan and loving it!)

• She spoke for animals at the McDonald's shareholders meeting regarding Controlled Atmosphere Killing.

• She volunteered at a healthy vegan school lunch event in Harlem.

• She has attended City Council meetings on behalf of PCRM and NYCLASS speaking to both the council and media.

• She donates half of her cat sitting money to PETA for their mobile spay/neuter clinic.

Pretty cool, right?

She’s being honored by PETA with the Nanci Alexander Activist Award, which honors individuals who have exhibited above and beyond efforts in activism for animals. Rose will receive the award at an upcoming event at Nanci’s restaurant Sublime in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and the award will be presented by Nanci herself!

Do you know any Kind Crusaders?

Leave a comment telling me about them. I might just feature them on the home page!

Fun Ways To Sneak In Exercise

I’m not the most disciplined exerciser, but because I follow the Kind Diet and I’m superhero most of the time, I feel energetic and spunky anyway. I feel grateful that the Kind Diet takes care of me that way. That said, when I’m lucky enough to add exercise to my routine, it’s such a bonus.

When I was doing my play, I couldn’t make time to exercise other than taking a yoga class once a week. The schedule and number of hours required for a play before the opening night is really intense so I wanted to be with Bear every moment that I could. It was exercise or spend time with Bear… of course I chose Bear!! Now that I’m done with the play, I’m exercising a little more and it feels so good.

It’s important to sweat and stretch every day. I don’t always do it, but I know how important it is for our bodies to do that. “Sweat” doesn’t mean run a marathon… it can mean a brisk walk if that gets your blood pumping. Then, work your way up! A nice sweat every day does wonders for your circulation, for your heart , and it gives your skin a nice glow. Plus, it gets everything inside moving for great bowel movements. Stagnation breeds the opposite of all those things, which isn’t great.

It can be hard to get motivated, but once you do it, you feel wonderful, and after you’re done, you feel even better. Try sneaky ways to get yourself to exercise.

I’m not likely to go exercise on my own, so I like taking classes. In NYC, there’s a place called Focus Integrated Fitness that does really great circuit training classes. You lengthen and strengthen your muscles while doing cardio. It’s nonstop and really hard, but also great. While you’re in class you want to stop, but it goes by really fast, and it’s fun! Then you’re done!

I’m a big fan of yoga. After The Performers was finished, but we were still in New York, my husband and I were going to this amazing yoga class at Vira Yoga in Soho once or twice a week, depending on the week. The teacher who owns the studio, Elena Brower, is amazing. It felt like I went on vacation or holiday every time I took her class.

Yoga is a practice. Meaning, you don’t need to be able to touch your toes…or even your knees! It’s just a place to practice opening up and finding space in your body. Working it out like a deep tissue massage—a little painful in a great way. Heart-opening postures make you walk taller and feel better. If I’m super tired or just not feeling right in my head, I don’t want to practice, but after I do I feel better. It’s hard to remember that, but it’s SO true! It gets rid of all the cobwebs and soreness. The body feels less aches and pains when it’s moving. And shavasana corpse pose is to die for! You go to this other place… and when I hear them say “roll to your side,” I often chose not to come back. I like to stay on that “planet” as long as I can… it’s heaven, really!!!

Ballet Beautiful in New York is also great for toning, while lengthening your muscles. You don’t have to be familiar with ballet because it’s not really a ballet class. It’s just a great workout and it’ll give you pretty muscles and you’ll feel feminine while doing it! They also have live classes online so you can join from anywhere, which makes it easy if you are at home with the kids or if travel time makes it harder for you to carve out time for a class. What a neat concept!

Another idea is to take dance classes – try whatever appeals to you, whether it’s ballet, tap, or jazz. I was excited to try a contemporary dance class when I was in New York. I didn’t make it, but wouldn’t it be fun to dance like Mia or Sonia or Trevor from “So You Think You Can Dance”?

Last but not least, grab a friend, your dogs (or offer to take your neighbor’s dog – that one that never seems to get out), or your significant other, and go for a walk! Or go alone… we underestimate the power of being alone for a little while. It’s so nourishing to stay quiet and be with yourself. I always forget that until I’m finally doing and I’m in heaven! That’s one of the things I’m going to miss most about New York is walking everywhere

I’m back in LA now and here I like to go to my favorite yoga studio, City Yoga (they do Anusara yoga, which is a type of Hatha Yoga). There is a great one in Studio City and the teachers there like Rebecca, Anthony, and Tom and tons more are so great.

One of my favorite things is to take walks with Bear in my Ergo. We walk to the grocery store all the time!

What are your favorite ways to exercise?

Tell me in the comments!

Photo source: Lululemon athletica

Tell Me More About You!

It’s crazy to think that TheKindLife.com has now been around since October 2009. That’s 3 ½ years, guys! In that time, there’s very little I haven’t shared with you all. From announcing my pregnancy with Bear to talking about how I cleared up my cystic acne. Now, I’d like to get to know you guys a little bit better. Whether you’ve been with me since the site launch or this is your first time here, I’d love for you to fill out this little survey to tell me more about how you use Thekindlife.com.

Answer as many or as few as you feel like and you can skip any question you don’t want to answer. The first four are the most important to me, but if you have the patience to continue on with the other four, great!

 

Thanks for sharing with me!

If you have any suggestions on ways that we could improve the site, please leave them in the comments below!

My Little Interview with Tal Ronnen

Tal Ronnen and me in his kitchen at Crossroads

Tal Ronnen has such great food and I love his new restaurant, Crossroads. If you’re not familiar with Tal, he’s one of the best vegan chefs around. He became famous for preparing the vegan meals for Oprah Winfrey’s 21-day vegan cleanse. He then catered Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s vegan wedding, Arianna Huffington’s party at the Democratic National Convention, and the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate. He’s also worked at some of the most popular vegan restaurants in the U.S. including Sublime in Fort Lauderdale, Madeleine Bistro in LA, and Candle 79 in NYC. He also helped Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders to open VegiTarranean in Akron, Ohio…I want to go there! He’s also worked with Gardein to develop their flavors, textures, and variations.

I sent him some questions about his life as a vegan and his new restaurant. Here we go…

Alicia Silverstone (Me): When and why did you become a veggie?

Tal Ronnen: It was 22 years ago—at first it was all about impressing a girl! Eventually it evolved into concern about animal welfare and the environment.

AS: What made you open this restaurant?

TR: Scott Jones, our executive chef, and I worked on a restaurant together in Ohio that featured Mediterranean plant-based dishes. We've always wanted to bring that concept to Los Angeles. The goal with Crossroads was to create a cohesive menu that drew upon Mediterranean flavors from parts of Italy, Spain, and France. We wanted to create a place where the quality of the food and the atmosphere was what people focused on first; where carnivores, vegans, and everyone in between could have a great meal together, accompanied by great drinks. We worked with the designers at Studio Collective to create a comfortable and sexy fine dining atmosphere. We wanted a space that felt both beautiful and cozy. The banquettes, the upholstered chairs, the chandeliers, the antique glass, the private dining room— all of these details help contribute to this very special space.

 

AS: Tell me about your cheese invention.

TR: I'm a partner in a company called Kite Hill, which produces cheese made using traditional artisanal cheese-making processes, but without dairy. We're launching three cheeses with Whole Foods Market this month. Unlike other non-dairy cheeses, we make our own milk, and mix it with cultures and enzymes that our team developed. We then form curds, which are then cut, drained, and pressed. Once the cheese has been brined, it goes into one of our aging rooms, which are specifically calibrated to the style of cheese that we are making. The aging rooms and equipment were all built in France and imported to our facility in Northern California. This will be the first non-dairy cheese sold in Whole Foods' esteemed cheese department, as opposed to the processed cheese or vegan cheese section, where all non-dairy cheese have lived until now.

AS: Tell me when the croissants and breakfast will be available at Crossroads? And when can I go? And what will I be able to eat? Yum!!!

TR: I'm so glad you got taste one of the croissants our pastry chef, Serafina Magnussen, has been working on! Crossroads Provisions, which will be housed in a beautiful adjacent dining room, is designed to feel like a European cheese shop. You'll be able to buy a variety of items, including the croissants, and sandwiches made with Kite Hill Cheeses, wine, and other small bites.

But seriously, when is it opening? I want to go now for that croissant!!

If you can’t make it to Crossroads, check out his cookbook The Conscious Cook.

Have you ever tried Tal’s cooking? Will you try his new cheeses at Whole Foods?

I can’t wait! 

Bill Gates' Video Supports Plant-Based Proteins

Are you kidding me?! I love you, Bill Gates!!!

I love this video that Bill Gates recently released on plant-based proteins. Please this his new "Gates Notes" video below ASAP... then send it to your mom and dad, your uncles and aunts, your friends, everyone! It's so good and quick! Woohoo! 

 

What do you think of this video?

Tell me what you think in the comments below.